Easel-type mount



Feb. 21, 1967 5. E. NICHOLS EASEL-TYPE MOUNT 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 17, 1965 21, 1967 G. E. NICHOLS 3,305,206

EASELTYPE MOUNT Filed Sept. 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I, K 0 K J 11 1 20 t i II J0 INVENTOR.

f; fiMMWYM United States Patent G 3,305,206 EASEL-TYPE MOUNT Gordon E. Nichols, Middlehoro, Mass., assignor to Winthrop-Atkins Co., Inc., Middlehoro, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Sept. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 488,011 13 Claims. (Cl. 248-459) This invention relates to easel-type mounts such as are used for supporting photographs, calendars, and the like, and has for its principal objects to provide a mount of -very simple construction, preferably of a single ply of sheet board covered on one or both surfaces with a facing paper of decorative character; to provide a structure which is easy to set up and becomes releasably locked in its set up position; to provide a structure which has three equally attractive positions of use; to provide a structure which can be folded down into a relatively fiat package for shipment, for example in an envelope; and to provide a structure which embodies the advantageous features of United States Patents No. 3,210,873, dated October 12, 1965, No. 3,210,874, dated October 12, 1965, No. 3,211,- 412, dated October 12, 1965, and No. 3,150,777, dated September 29, 1964.

As herein illustrated, the structure comprises a first part, an abutment on the first part providing a shoulder, support members, hinge means connecting each of the support members at one end to the first part in spaced parallel relation to the abutment shoulder and to each other so that the support members are angularly movable to a position in which their distal ends and the abutment lie in a common plane inclined upwardly from the first part and rearwardly with respect to the abutment, a second part mounted on the first part with an edge disposed behind the abutment shoulder, and means hingedly connecting the distal ends of the support members to the second part, said second part being of greater length between said last means and the edge which is engaged with the abutment than the distance between the distal ends of the support members and the abutment when disposed in the aforesaid common plane. The support members comprise a rigid leg and a rigid brace, one at each side of the leg, and are preferably of substantially the same length, although not necessarily so. The second part inclines upwardly from the first part at an obtuse angle with reference to the abutment, the distal ends of the braces bear upon the acute side of the second part between the distal end of the leg and the edge engaged with the abutment, and the latter holds the second part stressed against the distal ends of the braces imparting compression to the braces, tension in the obtuse side of the second part and compression in the acute side. Hinges connect the several parts to each other and there is a third part at the acute side of the second part to which the leg and hinges are connected and by means of which they are connected to the second part. The first part may have a slot parallel to the abutment and the second part a tongue engaged within the slot.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric of the structure set up in one position for use;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the structure rotated to a second position of use;

FIG. 4 is an edge view of the structure after assembly and prior to folding for shipment;

FIG. 5 is an edge view of the structure folded for shipment;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section through a hinge such as is used to connect the parts;

3,305,206 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 FIG. 7 is an isometric of the structure rotated to a third position of use;

FIG. 8 is an end elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the blank prior to assembly;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of FIG. 4 as seen from the upper side with a tongue and slot added; and

FIG. 11 is a plan view of FIG. 4 as seen from the lower side with a tongue and slot added.

Referring to the drawings (FIGS. 1 and 2), the mount comprises a panel 10 of rigid paperboard, herein shown as substantially rectangular, to one side of which is applied, by means of adhesive or staples (not shown), a part 12 of stiff paperboard also of rectangular configuration but narrower than the panel 10, with one edge 12a coinciding with or spaced from an edge 10a of the panel 10 and the other edge 12b spaced from and parallel to the opposite edge 10!). The edge 12b of the part 12 is perpendicular to the surface of the panel 10 and provides an abutment or shoulder 16 parallel to the edge 10b. A second panel 14 is mounted on the first panel 10 in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position with respect to the abutment 16 with its lower edge 18a engaged with the abutment 16 and is supported in this position by first, second and third supports comprising a leg 20 and two braces 3tl5tl, one at each side of the leg 20. The leg 21) is connected at its lower end by a hinge 22 to the forward edge or" a narrow rectangular part 24 fastened by means of adhesive or staples (not shown) to the panel 11), rearwardly of the part 12, with its rear edge coinciding with or spaced from the edge 10b of the panel 10. The upper end or" the leg 20 is connected by a hinge 26 to a third panel 28 at the rear side of the second panel 14. Each brace 30 is connected at its lower end by a hinge 32 to the rear edge 10b of the panel 16 and at its upper end by a hinge 34 to the panel 28. As illustrated, the ends of the leg 29 and the braces 30-3tl are displaced so that the hinges 3232 at the lower ends of the braces are situated rearwardly of and parallel to the hinge 22 connecting the lower end of the leg to the part 24 and the hinges 3434 connecting the upper or distal ends of the braces to the part 28 are situated below the hinge 26 connecting the upper or distal end of the leg to the part 23.

The leg and braces may be but are not necessarily of the same length and the abutment or shoulder 16 is situated in a position such that engagement of the lower edge 18a of the second panel 14 with the abutment 16 places the braces in compression and the leg in tension. This is achieved by placing the part 12 on the panel 11 in such a position that the abutment 16 is contained in a plane passing through the distal ends of the leg and braces when the latter occupy a predetermined angular position relative to the panel 10, and then attaching the panel 14 to the distal ends of the leg and braces so that the distance between the points of attachment of the distal ends of the leg and braces and the edge 18a of the panel 14 is greater than the distance between the distal ends of the leg and braces and the abutment 16 in the plane common to them at the aforesaid predetermined angular position of the leg and braces. The result of this construction is that the lower edge 18a of the panel 14 must be forced behind the abutment 16 thus pressing the lower portion of the panel 14 against the distal ends of the braces, subjecting the latter to compression and rotating the upper portion of the panel forwardly thus subjecting the leg to tension. When the lower edge 18a of the panel 14 is engaged, the obtuse front side is in tension and the acute rear side is in compression but not so much as to show appreciable bowing. The stress may be very slight or considerable depending upon the length of the panel 14 and serves to hold the lower edge 18a of the panel firmly engaged with the abutment 16. Although the abutment as herein illustrated is formed by the rear edge 12b of the part 12, it is within the scope of the invention to employ any equivalent means for constraining the lower edge of the panel 14; for example, as will be hereinafter described, a slot in the panel into which a part of the panel 14 or a part attached thereto may be inserted.

The upwardly inclined surface of the panel 14 is adapted to receive in any suitable manner for attachment thereto a calendar pad, photograph, or combination of such items.

The panel 14 may be attached in any suitable manner to the panel 28; however, in the preferred form shown herein is connected at its upper edge 18b to the upper edge 28b of the panel 28 by a hinge 36.

A facing ply 38 of rectangular configuration and somewhat smaller than the part 12 is applied by means of adhesive (not shown) to the upper surface of the part 12 and may bear advertising.

The structure is comprised of paperboard 40 faced on its opposite sides with a decorative paper 42, 44 and all of the hinges, as herein illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, to wit, hinges 22, 26, 32, 34 and 36 are formed as shown in FIG. 6 by cutting through the facing material and the board from one side or the other so that the parts remain connected solely by the facing at the side opposite the side in which the cut is made. This is an extremely simple type of hinge inexpensive to produce and relatively durable. It is to be understood however that other types of hinges employed in this and related arts may be employed.

FIG. 3 shows the structure tipped over from the position shown in FIG. 1 so that the edge 18b of the panel and the edge 12a of the part 12 rest upon the supporting surface. In this position what was formerly the lower surface of the panel 10 now inclines upwardly and rearwardly and provides a surface for receiving a calendar pad, photograph, or the like.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the structure rotated from the position shown in FIG. 2 to a position so that it rests on the edge 28b of the panel 28 and the hinges 3232 connecting the braces with the panel 10. The panel 14 is thus inclined in the opposite direction from that shown in FIG. 2 and the part 12 is now perpendicular instead of horizontal. The structure shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 also embodies a slight modification for locking the parts in position in the form of a slot 46 formed in the panel 10 parallel to the abutment 16 at the edge 12b of the part 12 and a tongue-like projection 48 at the end 1811 of the panel 14 which is engaged within the slot 46.

In addition to the foregoing, the panel 14 may contain near its upper edge, as shown in FIG. 7, holes 50-50 which open into the triangular spaces below the panel defined by the converging and intersecting parts 10 and 3030 to receive the lower ends of writing implements thrust into said holes.

The starting blank for the structure is shown in FIG. 9 with corresponding sections identified with the reference characters employed in the description of the structure as set up. The blank is essentially rectangular and when making the structure shown in FIG. 7, as related above, has a tongue 48 projecting from one end and a slot 46 adjacent the other end. Except for the tongue and slot, the blanks will be the same for all of the structures. The hinges 22, 26 and 34 are cut through the blank from the top side, as shown in FIG. 9, all of the way to the facing ply at the bottom side, but without penetrating the latter. The hinges 32, 36 and 54, if the part 12 is an integral part of the entire blank, are cut through from the bottom side all the way to the facing ply at the top side but without penetrating the latter. The cuts X-X which result in formation of the leg and braces are made all of the way through the blank from either side.

The initial step in folding the blank after cutting it out is to fold the part 12 over the part 10 (FIG. 9) or if it is not formed during making of the blank applying it to the panel 10 and then folding the parts 10 and 12 upwardly on the hinge 32 over onto the part 28 as shown in FIG. 10. Staples 52-52 are now driven through the part 24 (FIG. 11) adjacent the hinge 22 thus completing the structure.

Preferably the structure is folded again on the hinge 36, as shown in FIG. 5, for the purpose of shipment. To set the structure up the panel 14 is rotated away from the panel 10, the panel 10 is rotated away from the panel 28 and then the panel 14 is rotated toward the panel 10 so as to bring the edge 18a of the panel 14 into a position of abutting engagement with the abutment 16 and in the form shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 to insert the tongue 48 through the slot 46.

The structure may be used in any one of the three positions illustrated above to provide, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a support wherein a photograph or calendar mount is supported in an inclined position on the panel 14- and advertising material in a horizontal position in the part 12; in FIG. 3 wherein the inclined panel 14 is provided for supporting a calendar pad, photograph, or the like; and in FIGS. 7 and 8 wherein the inclined surface of the panel 14 provides a support for a calendar, photograph, or the like, and also for holding writing implements, and the vertical surface of the part 12 provides for advertising.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A structure comprising a first panel, a brace and a leg hingedly connected at one end to said first panel in spaced parallel relation for pivotal movement relative to said first panel, an abutment on said first panel spaced from and parallel to the hingedly connected ends of the brace and leg, said brace and leg being disposed in a position such that their distal ends and the abutment all lie in a common plane inclined upwardly from the first panel and rearwardly with respect to the abutment, and a second panel hingedly connected to the distal ends of the brace and leg which is of greater length, between said hinged connections and an edge of the second panel parallel to said hinged connections, than said distance between the distal ends of the brace and leg and the abutment at said position, said second panel being disposed in an inclined position with said edge disposed behind said abutment and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom.

2. A structure comprising a first part, an abutment on the first part, a brace and leg, a hinge connecting one end of the brace to the first part in parallel relation to the abutment, a hinge connecting one end of the leg to the first part between the abutment and the hinge connecting the brace to the first part, said brace and leg being disposed in a position in which their distal ends and the abutment lie in a common plane inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the abutment, a second part mounted on the first part in an inclined position with an edge engaged with the first part, and means hingedly connecting the distal ends of the brace and leg to said second part at a distance from said edge which is greater than said distance between said distal ends and the abutment when situated in said common plane.

3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein the means hingedly connecting the distal ends of the brace and leg to the second part is a third part mounted on the second part.

4. A structure comprising a first part, an abutment on the first part providing a shoulder, support members, hinge means connecting each of the support members at one end to the first part in spaced parallel relation to the abutment and to each other, said support members being disposed in a position in which their distal ends and the abutment lie in a common plane inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the abutment, a second part having an edge adapted to be disposed behind said shoulder, and means hingedly connecting the distal ends of the support members to the second part at a distance from said edge which is greater than the distance between said distal ends and the abutment when disposed in said common plane.

5. A structure comprising a first panel, a first part narrower than the first panel mounted on said first panel adjacent one edge, said first part providing a shoulder perpendicular to the first panel and spaced from and parallel to the opposite edge thereof, support members, hinge means connecting an end of each of the support members to the first panel with an end of one closer to the shoulder than the other, said support members being disposed in a position such that their distal ends lie in a common plane containing said shoulder, a second panel mounted on the first panel in an inclined posi tion extending upwardly and rearwardly from the shoulder, said second panel having an edge disposed behind the shoulder, and means connecting the distal ends of the support members to said second panel at a distance from said edge which is greater than the distance between the distal ends of the support members and the abutment in said common plane.

6. A structure comprising a first panel, a perpendicular shoulder on the panel parallel to and adjacent one edge thereof, a first support member, a hinge connecting one end of the first support member to the first panel in spaced parallel relation to the shoulder, second and third support members, hinges connecting one end of each of the second and third support members to the first panel, one at each side of the first support member, parallel to the abutment and further therefrom than the first support member, said support members being of substantially the same length and disposed in a position in which their distal ends lie in a plane containing said shoulder, a second panel mounted on the first panel with an edge disposed behind said shoulder, said second panel sloping upwardly and rearwardly from the shoulder with one face obtuse with respect to the first panel and the other acute, and means connecting the distal ends of the support members to said second panel at the acute side at a distance from said edge which is greater than the distance between the distal ends and the abutment in said plane.

7. A structure according to claim 6, wherein the means connecting the distal ends of the support members to the second panel is a third panel disposed at the acute side of the second panel.

8. A structure according to claim 6, wherein the means connecting the distal ends of the support members to the second panel is a third panel disposed at the acute side of the second panel, said third panel having an edge coinciding with the upper edge of the second panel, and a hinge connects the coinciding edges of said second and third panels.

9. A structure according to claim 4, wherein the support members are a leg and two braces, one at each side of the leg.

10. A structure according to claim 4, wherein the support members are a leg and two braces, one at each side of the leg, and the hinge connecting the distal end of the leg to the second panel is further from said edge than the hinges connecting the distal ends of the braces thereto.

11. A structure according to claim 2, wherein the hinge connecting the distal end of the brace to the second part is closer to said edge of said second part than the hinge connecting the distal end of the leg thereto, so that the distal end of the brace constitutes an abutment at the acute side of the second part which, in conjunction with the abutment at the lower edge of the second part and the leg, stress said second part rearwardly against said distal end of the brace.

12. A structure according to claim 5, wherein the support members are a leg and two braces, one at each side of the leg, and the hinge connecting the distal ends of the braces are closer to said edge of the second panel than the hinge connecting the distal end of the leg thereto, so that when said edge is disposed behind the shoulder the braces are stressed in compression and the leg in tension.

13. A structure according to claim 5, wherein the support members are a leg and two braces, one at each side of the leg, and the hinges connecting the distal ends of the braces are closer to said edge of said second part than the hinge connecting the distal end of the leg thereto, said leg and abutment, in conjunction, stressing the second part rearwardly relative to the distal ends of the braces so that the obtuse side of said second part is in tension and the acute side is in compression.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 588,636 8/1897 Engstrom 248465 2,252,571 8/1941 Kohn 248459 3,097,444 7/ 1963 Steiner 248-459 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. ROBERT P. SEITTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A STRUCTURE COMPRISING A FIRST PANEL, A BRACE AND A LEG HINGEDLY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID FIRST PANEL IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST PANEL, AN ABUTMENT ON SAID FIRST PANEL SPACED FROM AND PARALLEL TO THE HINGEDLY CONNECTED ENDS OF THE BRACE AND LEG, SAID BRACE AND LEG BEING DISPOSED IN A POSITION SUCH THAT THEIR DISTAL ENDS AND THE ABUTMENT ALL LIE IN A COMMON PLANE INCLINED UPWARDLY FROM THE FIRST PANEL AND REARWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE ABUTMENT, AND A SECOND PANEL HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE DISTAL ENDS OF THE BRACE AND LEG WHICH IS OF GREATER LENGTH, BETWEEN SAID HINGED CONNECTIONS AND AN EDGE OF THE SECOND PANEL PARALLEL TO SAID HINGED CONNECTIONS, THAN SAID DISTANCE BETWEEN THE DISTAL ENDS OF THE BRACE AND LEG AND THE ABUTMENT AT SAID POSITION, SAID SECOND PANEL BEING DISPOSED IN AN INCLINED POSITION WITH SAID EDGE DISPOSED BEHIND SAID ABUTMENT AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND UPWARDLY THEREFROM. 